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Golf Cart Stolen from Los Gatos United Soccer League at Fisher Middle Schoo
2008-06-03 16:31:00
The good folks at the Los Gatos United Soccer League are asking for the help of the townsfolk to help them find their older golf cart, which is used by president of the league, Ed San Juan, for picking up trash cans after soccer games at Fisher. Families and friends of the many players who've enjoyed the field at Fisher (including my family) have appreciated having the cans brought out to the field and the 1991 Yamaha was a good way to transport them on and off the field for the game times. Last seen Thursday evening, the golf cart was discovered missing on Saturday morning in an area littered with about 20 used, empty beer cans. Police were called to the scene and state that bolt cutters were used to get the golf cart loose. Description of cart: "It's a weathered white 1991 Yamaha gas golf cart (nothing fancy), it has a top with a front windshield, and a black flat-bed used for picking up garbage." To contact the LGUSL about the cart, you may email them via the contacts page of...
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Are Home Prices Going Up or Down in Los Gatos?
2008-05-29 17:51:00
What is happening with the residential real estate market in Los Gatos ? Are prices flat, rising or declining? Just as there is no one "Silicon Valley Real Estate Market", there's no single "Los Gatos real estate market" either. It varies from one area to the next, one school district to the next, one price point to the next. It can be neighborhood by neighborhood or even street by street. This week I received a request for an online market valuation of a home purchased in 2006. It appears to have declined in value about 10% since that time (price point is the $2 mil to $2.5 mil range - but it is in an area where not every home on the street is worth that much). Other homes, in other areas, though seem to be rising in vallue, if slightly. The sweet spot of the market seems to be lower priced homes with Los Gatos Schools - that is, homes between $1 million and $2 million. (I heard recently of a townhome in Cupertino or Saratoga, listed under $1 mil...
More About: Home , Prices

The Real Estate Market Trends in Los Gatos
2008-05-09 15:43:00
Los Gatos Home Sales Trends How's the real estate market in the Town of Los Gatos? The Los Gatos housing market varies from one price point and neighborhood to the next, from one type of housing to the next, and even between the town's two zip codes, 95030 and 95032. Here we'll take a view of the overall movement in the market; please understand that it may or may not apply to your Los Gatos home so please call or email me for specific information relating to your property. Overall, Los Gatos continues to be a buyer's market, though not as deep as in other places in Santa Clara County. Inventory is rising in both single family homes and in condos/townhomes, which is a typical trend for this time of year. The market has improved somewhat over a month ago in terms of median and average sales price (the graphs below use a 12 month moving average, but the actual numbers do show an uptick). To view the report for Los Gatos using the actual numb...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market

Photos from Arbor Day at Daves Avenue School
2008-04-26 16:10:00
Los Gatos is "Tree City USA" for 29 years in a row! A celebration at Daves Avenue School yesterday included talks by local officials and by students and, of course, the planting of some new trees. (Photos courtesy of Jim Handy.) Shovels ready for work. The site was prepared ahead of time A tractor does the heavy lifting with two young trees to be planted at Daves Avenue School. Three trees were planted in all. An assembly of students gathered to hear talks by officials and classmates. Los Gatos Mayor Barbara Spector addressed the crowd. Adults did the first round of planting ...

Lovely Lavender Draped Home in Los Gatos
2008-04-14 16:52:00
Yesterday I saw this beautiful lavender vine adorning an old home near St. Mary's Church in downtown Los Gatos (Almond Grove District area). The photo was taken with my Treo, so the quality is not great, but you get the feeling: perfect blue skies, vibrant colors, classic old Craftsman style home. A perfect spring day in Los Gatos.
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Permit for Los Gatos Skatepark Revoked: Now What?
2008-03-19 15:12:00
Proponents for the Skatepark in Los Gatos laid out a plan to build, fund and maintain one on Miles Avenue in downtown Los Gatos, but when it went before the voting public in Measure D, was not passed. In fact, Measure D, "the skatepark initiative", was defeated by a 2 to 1 margin. But does that mean that Los Gatans don't want a skatepark at all? Or did they just not want the particulars in Measure D? This is an important question because there's money being held by the town for the skatepark. If the town considers the skatepark a closed issue, I believe it could use those monies for other things, but I hope not. There's a lot of residual upset swirling around the skatepark vote, and I would maintain that although Measure D was defeated, the Los Gatos voters remain open to making a skatepark part of the town's services.
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Time Change Reminder: Move Clocks Ahead Tonight
2008-03-08 16:19:00
A quick reminder: this is the night to move your clocks forward one hour. Daylight savings time is coming to an end!
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Want to Sell Your Silicon Valley Home?
Biggest Homeseller Mistakes to Av
2008-02-09 16:01:00
<h2>What are the odds that a home in Silicon Valley <BR>will sell right now?</h2> Most of the homes for sale in Los Gatos, San Jose, or anywhere in Silicon Valley are not going to sell this month. In Los Gatos, there's about a 20% chance than any given home will sell. In San Jose generally, it's a lot worse than that - it's about a 13% chance that a home will sell. Here's a quick look at the numbers for these two areas of Santa Clara County: Los Gatos Single Family Home s (95030, 95032 zip codes) Active Listings (For Sale) = 118 Pending Sales (Under Contract) = 23 Closed in Last Month = 18 Months of inventory = 6.5 San Jose Single Family Homes (all areas) Active Listings (For Sale) = 2921 Pending Sales (Under Contract) = 405 Closed in Last Month = 196 Months of inventory = 14.9 The months of inventory, or absorption rate, is a simple calculation of the number of active listings divided by the number of closed sal...
More About: Sell

Where to Vote in Los Gatos Today?
2008-02-05 16:07:00
Please vote today - it is both the Presidential Primary and also the chance to resolve the extremely controversial Los Gatos skatepark issue by voting on that initiative - Measure D. The voter guides we received didn't have the voting location printed, but you can find out where to vote by visiting the Smart Vote r site, using this link for Santa Clara County: http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/scl/ Remember to bring your photo ID. See you at the polls! (PS: Jim and I just returned from voting and as of about 9:15 or 9:30 am, the weather was ideal and the lines were very short at our polling place in east Los Gatos .)
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The Los Gatos Real Estate Market:
It Isn't So Bad
2008-01-22 00:38:00
Tired of hearing the doom and gloom regarding the real esate market? Most of that negative press is national news, not local news. Truly, it doesn't impact home values in Los Gatos if prices are falling in parts of Florida, Vegas, or even in Sacramento. The local market - our town plus neighboring communities here in Silicon Valley - is the crucial one. Things are just not that bad for home sales in Los Gatos overall. That said, "the market" consists of several sub-markets. It's one thing if you are trying to sell a very expensive home with an unpopular architectural style. It's another if you're marketing a modest or at least non-extravagent home in a good location with great schools. Still another if you have a view property...or a lot that could be split. And no matter what, overpriced just won't work. A view of the big picture in the Los Gatos real estate market reveals that 2006 was a lot tougher on sellers (and folks watching th...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market , Real

Cleaning Up After the California Storms:
Trees, Leaves, Fences and Damag
2008-01-05 19:06:00
Silicon Valley is not alone in being pounded by a fierce Alaskan storm this weekend. The Friday rains - which we desperately need - came in a short period of time, together with strong winds which apparently gusted close to 100mph in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's a mess out there, and it's not over yet. The roads are filled with fallen leaves and branches. In the Almond Grove District of downtown Los Gatos, a bough actually blocked off an entire street and damaged a car. This is not an uncommon story from one end of the state to the other. Fences are down all over. Emergency personnel are working overtime to handle the accidents and weather related problems. In Southern California , they face mudslides after the fires a few months ago - homes are truly at risk there. Not surprisingly, power was lost to over a million P, G & E customers in northern California alone. Additionally, cable and internet services are out for many of us too. At o...
More About: Cleaning , Trees , Leaves

Merry Christmas, Los Gatos...and everyone else too!
2007-12-25 05:50:00
It's been a little busy for blogging lately but I didn't want the holiday season to go by without sending my warmest wishes to my friends and readers. Many of our friends celebrate Hanukkah - and I hope it was a happy one for each and every one of them. What a beautiful festival, a true festival of lights. We celebrate Christmas in our home, and the days leading up to it can be a bit hectic for us, as they are for many of you. (On top of that, this blogger was sick for about 10 days and also changed brokerages mid-month. So lots was going on!) It can be hard to catch your breath and think about the deeper meanings to all of it. . . . But now, it's Christmas Eve. Everything is really done. Life is quieting down at the Handy household in Belwood, and we get to just enjoy the next couple of days and reflect on why they are so important to us. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope that for you these days will be meaningful, peaceful and fun. Merry ...
More About: Gatos , Merry Christmas , Los Gatos

How's the Los Gatos Real Estate Market?
2007-12-06 22:59:00
The real estate market for single family homes in Los Gatos is moving more into a buyers' market. Values may be slipping some, but the big story is the fact that so few homes are selling and closing. Whether you compare November 2007 against other recent months or against other Novembers in the last ten years, sales are clearly, and dramatically, way off. Let's take the number of closed sales from November for the last 10 years, then we'll look at the absorption rate, or "months of inventory" for Los Gatos in recent months. As is apparent in the graph, closings are at an all-time low for November over the last decade, and in fact is about half of average. This movement is not exclusive to Los Gatos but is being seen all over Silicon Valley; this is the reason there are so many layoffs among lenders, title companies, and real estate offices (in support staff, not commissioned sales people). So even "seasonally", this is unusual. Nex...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market , Real

Carriage Rides in Beautiful, Downtown Los Gatos
2007-12-03 19:50:00
<h2>Do something fun in Los Gato s for the holidays! Surprise your loved ones with a real, wintery treat: a carriage ride!</h2>Scenic Los Gatos dons its best festive attire for the holidays and makes a perfect place for enjoying horse-drawn carriages during December evenings. Each year, this great event is sponsored by local businesses and the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. For information on available dates and times, and to get ticket prices, please visit the Chamber's website.
More About: Downtown , Beautiful

Visit the Los Gatos Library Blog
2007-11-19 21:51:00
Did you know that the Los Gatos Town Library has a blog? I didn't but just stumbled upon it. Let's not keep it a secret! It's got some neat information about newest additions to the library and other features in the right sidebar as well. Check it out! The Los Gatos Library Blog
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A Perfect Day for Shredding in Los Gatos
2007-11-18 04:07:00
What do you do for fun on a perfect, sunny California Saturday in November? Ten of us agents from Intero in Los Gato s hosted a shredding party as a client appreciation event. From 9am until 1pm today, we provided a mobile shredding truck from United Shredding in our parking lot, and offered some refreshments and information on identity theft as well. Our clients and friends expressed great enthusiasm and appreciation, and we counted the day as a success. One of my friends decided it was so easy that he went back home and retrieved more to shred before we finished. We had a great time and enjoyed the ideal mid-70 degree weather. It was wonderful to reconnect with people and the consensus was that this was an event we'll do again. Want to be included next time? Please call or email me and I'll make sure you are! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The mobile shredding event in Los G...
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Fall in Los Gatos
2007-11-16 06:55:00
The Los Gato s Observer has a nice post this week from Don Wolf, who shared absolutely stunning photos he took at Vasona Lake County Park and Oak Meadow Park (which are adjoining to one another) this week. Stop by and have a look: http://losgatosobserver.com/los-gatos/Art icle.php?article_id=0602
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Los Gatos Real Estate Market Trends
2007-11-09 18:32:00
What is the housing market doing in Los Gatos now? Market analysts are divided as to whether it will settle down by the end of this quarter and bring us a better 2008 or if the market will continue to be sluggish for another year or two with increasingly decling sales and in some areas, declining home values. No one knows the future, but there are convincing arguements for both outcomes! Let's have a look at October's numbers. Los Gatos prices are up from a year ago -13.7% for the median sales price and 21.5% for the average sales price. But the number of sales was off a whopping 60.6% from the same month last year! Are home values rising? Not necessarily. This could be an indicator that what little is selling happens to be selling in the wealthier sectors of the market. Low end homes are possibly suffering a more direct hit from the mortgage fallout than the extremely high end homes. An excellent tool for evaluating the market is the ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Trends

Squirrels Are Not A Problem in Los Gatos
2007-11-08 04:19:00
Let's be clear on something: squirrels, possums, skunks, racoons and other wildlife are not generally a problem in Los Gato s . Recently a mountain lion was seen on Cypress Way - and sometimes the big cats wander into suburbia. Those events constitute a problem. But by and large, the small furry animals that share our turf are not an issue. I bring this up because I like to track who's finding "Live In Los Gatos", how they get here, what are the popular search terms, etc. It's all visible to you, too, if you are in the slightest bit interested. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and find the Site Meter button. Click on it. A whole world of info - probably much more than could possibly interest you - about how people find this spot lies in the pages beyond that portal. What upset me today was seeing that one Google surfer found this site by asking about killing squirrels in Los Gatos . If you go through the Site Meter link and then look at the left sidebar where it says "Referra...
More About: Problem , Squirrels

Comcast Didn't Deliver in Los Gatos,
So I Went to the Bar...
2007-11-05 17:05:00
Going to a bar alone is really out of my comfort level, but even more so when I'm not even meeting someone there. But that's exactly what I did yesterday, and it's Comcast 's fault. Why? Because Comcast did not broadcast the NFL "Game of the Century" - the Patriots vs. the Colts. Last week I saw a (national) television ad that it would be shown. Being played at Indy, the game was on yesterday afternoon starting at 1:15pm local time. But when I looked at the television listings for Sunday, I was shocked and appalled that this incredibly significant game wasn't listed as being televised. We're talking about the game between arch rivals. The game where both went into it undefeated this season, 8-0. I did what any paying customer would do: I phoned Comcast. "Can I upgrade the sports package and watch the game?" I asked, rather than complaining. "No, ma'am, Comcast isn't showing that game west of the Rockies." Incredible. Obviou...
More About: Gatos , Deli , Went , Los Gatos

Holiday Gift Idea: Novel by Local Author
"Child of the Shadows"
2007-11-04 19:31:00
Third Generation Los Gatan Jack R. Sorenson's Fantasy Novel Inspired and imaginative, The Child of the Shadows is Jack R.Sorenson's fantasy story of magic, growth, hope, and the classic issues of good and evil. Folks who enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series will find many things to like in this book as well, as it shares some of the hallmarks: the use of enchantment and the element of "another world" being among them. Best of all in this tome is character development. The individuals we meet are complex and intriguing, all with several dimensions to them. In Child of the Shadows, the main players are not always what they seem at first glance - or second, or third. A month or two ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Jack in person and talking with him about his book, about Los Gatos, ghosts and some neat history of the town. He has a wonderful "sense of story" that he's putting onto paper and I expect to see his current work becom...
More About: Holiday , Gift , Idea , The Shadows , Local

Earthquakes and Real Estate Transactions
2007-10-31 05:19:00
A couple of hours ago, at 8:04pm, Silicon Valley experienced a "moderate" earthquake. The USGS (Unites States Geological Survey) finds it to be 5.6 on the Richter Scale. My Experience Tonight: When tonight's quake happened, I was not at my Los Gatos home, but rather on the campus of Santa Clara University, in the Adobe Lodge, saying goodbye to some friends after a very pleasant evening. We'd attended a Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley's "Theology in the City" lecture on Muslim-Christian Dialogue, followed by a wonderful reception. As we crossed the main room of the Adobe Lodge, sounds like someone stomping on the roof commenced. Then the noise spread. As the roof cackled and groaned, we realized - about the time we started to sense it - that this was an earthquake. It's not untypical to hear it before you feel it! By the time my friends and I figured out that this was a seismic event, we were in the foyer. A chandelier swung ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Earthquakes , Transactions , Real

Today in Willow Glen:
Drop Off Goods for Fire Victims
2007-10-28 16:38:00
Please stop by Intero's Willow Glen office today to donate new or gently used: Blankets, Pillows, Cots, Tents Sleeping Bags, Air Mattresses, Canopies, Toys, Sunscreen, Pa­per Towels, Water, Handi Wipes, Toilet paper, Paper Plates, Cups, Utensils, Pet food, Carriers, Leashes There are more than 300,000 people who have been evacuated from their homes. Graebel Moving (408.273.1955) has donated a trailer truck and a driver. Intero Real Estate Services and Mary Ann Wallace have provided the vision and Presentation High School is helping to get the word out and take collections. The trailer will be located at: Intero Real Estate Services 1567 Meridian Ave San Jose, Ca 95125 Today , Sunday from 9am-5pm or until it is full. All items will be delivered to Father Joe's Villages which has a warehouse to accept and distribute the supplies. Thank you for your support! Any questions, c...
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Bedbug Registry:
Los Gatos is Clean!
2007-10-26 03:06:00
A friend sent me a link to a Bedbug Regis try . I knew, from a conversation that I'd had recently with Janet Thrasher of Thrasher Termite & Pest Control in Los Gatos , that bedbugs were on the rise and the subject of much discussion (and action). But I didn't know that there was a "Bedbug Registry". Did you? Well, have no fears, Los Gatos appears to be a bedbug free zone. At least from my look at the registry a moment ago. Planning a trip? Maybe you will want to stay right here and take in one of our resort-like hotels or motels!
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Where, Exactly, is Los Gatos?
2007-10-24 03:17:00
Where is Los Gato s in relation to the rest of California? Folks thinking of moving, or visiting here, are often a bit puzzled. Often telling them "it's a part of Silicon Valley" doesn't help much, either. Possibly more helpful: it's at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area, about a half hour from the bay. From Los Gatos it's a half hour to the beach at Santa Cruz (south/south-west). It's 90 minutes to Carmel and Monterey (south), an hour to "the city". It's close to San Jose and often the townsfolk do get into the San Jose spirit especially if the Sharks are on the ice! Here's a link to the map of Los Gatos on Mapquest. Andhere's one from Google. <h2>Distances from San Jose to some Large Cities</h2> San Jose is the town's nearest big city (it has just shy of a million people and is more populous than San Francisco). Downtown San Jose is about 15 -20 minutes. San Jose is a sprawling city, though, and so...

How Often Should You
Get a Termite or Pest Inspection?
2007-10-19 16:27:00
Guest Post by Janet Thrasher Thrasher Termite & Pest Control Recently I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with Janet Thrasher of Thrasher Termite & Pest Control in Los Gatos. She answered some common questions about her business, when and why someone might call a pest control company. Since there was so much material from that discussion, her insights will be shared in a series of posts here on "Live in Los Gatos". (Not a "paid post", but a genuine endorsement by me of this company, which I've worked with for almost 15 years.) mph: Janet, how often should homeowners consider having a pest inspection done at their house (and why)? Janet: About every 2-3 years is good for a house. Pest inspectors will go into places and look at things that homeowners often don't see. A good termite inspection will include the crawl space, for instance. Damage may be visible there or in the att...
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Sun Rising Over Belwood
2007-10-17 16:21:00
Late last month I did a post showcasing a couple of photos I took from my front yard in the Belwood neighborhood of Los Gatos that featured the moon seemingly slung between two palm trees. A couple of days ago, our daughter exclaimed that we needed to come to the window to see the morning sky. It was not quite 7am and it was positively ablaze. Same palm trees, totally different but equally amazing scene. These photos are not retouched except for one thing. My flash (accidentally) went off and caused the stop sign at the lower right side of one of the photos to be illuminated in an otherwise pitch black section of the image. I've cloned out the stop sign .... But the sky is untouched. Amazing and true!

Halloween Events and Haunted Houses
In and Near Los Gatos
2007-10-15 21:42:00
Are you getting "into the spirit" of Halloween now? Perhaps you're ready to make some plans to celebrate the spooky holiday? Here are a few events near to Los Gatos . You can find a really enormous list of pumpkin patches, haunted houses and other events at Bay Haunting.com too. It should be noted that unfortunately there will be no Halloween activities or event at Vasona or Oak Meadow Park this year. The Haunted Forest stopped happening in 2005. A local gent wanted to revive it this year but there were too many issues (like getting a bond) and not enough time to pull it off. Maybe next year? I hope so! October 20, 27 and 31st at the Winchester Mystery House: flashlight tours (these sell out in advance - reserve yours early) Oct 26 at Old Town, Los Gatos at 5:30pm: Howling Halloween. Bring your dog in costume! Benefits the police department's K-9 unit, of course! October 26 Los Gatos Public Library at 3:30pm: Halloween stories in ...
More About: Events , Houses , Ween

St. Mary's Country Fair in Los Gatos
2007-10-15 03:04:00
St. Mary's Country Fair in Los Gato s is an annual event that happens the second weekend of October. This year, my family and I visited it on Sunday morning. It was quieter than we've seen it on Friday nights or anytime on Saturday (esp Saturday nights, which tend to be packed). Really geared towards the littlest members of the community on Sundays, the fair nonetheless has something for everyone then too. It should be added, too, that while there was a magnificent car was benefit going on at Fisher Middle School for Sara Cole, the Country Fair had a booth to draw donations too. It looked like they were doing well . I took a lot of photos to share with you - a snapshot in time of a Sunday morning at the fair. I hope you will enjoy the slideshow! (And there are extra still photos to view as well.)
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Dio Deka: Great Greek Food in Los Gatos
2007-10-12 02:03:00
Today I celebrated a friend's birthday by taking her to lunch at Dio Deka, a fairly new Greek restaurant, in the Hotel Los Gatos . It was the first time I returned there since the restaurant had changed hands and gone Hellenic. What a nice improvement! The service, food, and ambiance were all top notch. A nicer setting would be hard to find. The Hotel Los Gatos is one of the most beautiful buildings in Los Gatos, a town already much loved for its scenic beauty. If you haven't seen it, it's almost directly across the street from Los Gatos High School so is in the heart of downtown. The architectural style is Spanish, but it reminds me of the elegant and inviting Santa Barbara Spanish style in particular. Inside, the hotel and restaurant are well appointed, comfortable, classy, and relaxing. Great ambiance. At Dio Deka, each employee we encountered was warm, pleasant and gracious. Service was never wanting. Their manners and protocol were ...
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